(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the manufacture of bearings and particularly to the assembly of unground bearings suitable for high-speed applications. More specifically, this invention is directed to the fabrication of bearings characterized by a split outer race and a ball retainer and the invention further comprises tooling for use in the production of a subassembly consisting of the bearing inner race, retainer and balls. Accordingly, the general objects of the present invention are to provide novel and improved methods and apparatus of such character.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art a distinction has been made between comparatively expensive precision or "ground" bearings and relatively inexpensive "unground" bearings. An "unground" bearing, which is characterized by an outer race which is stamped rather than being precision machined, has not previously been considered to be suitable for high-speed applications and particularly for use where a significant level of bearing noise would be objectionable. A "ground" bearing, by virtue of its utilization of a precision machined outer race, is expensive because of the time consuming nature of the procedures incident to the assembly thereof and because of the added costs incident to the machining of the outer race. Both "ground" and "unground" bearings, and the method by which they are assembled, are well known in the art and will not be discussed herein. Suffice it to state that there has been a long felt need for a bearing having the capability of operation at comparatively high speeds with low noise which bearing could be assembled with moderate labor costs when compared to prior art "ground" bearing assembly techniques.